Major funding for KPBS Evening Edition has been made possible in part by Bill Howell, family of companies providing San Diego with plumbing, heating, air restoration and flood services for over 40 years.

Call one 800 Bill House or visit Bill Howe dot com and by the Conrad Prebys Foundation.

Darlene Marcos shyly and by the following and by viewers like you.

Thank you.

Good evening and thank you for joining us.

I'm Maia TRABULSI.

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office has prosecuted hundreds of the lowest players in local theft schemes.

But KPBS reporter Katie Hyson says the people in charge remain out of reach.

Thank you, Chairman Biggs, ranking member Cohen.

San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan spoke before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday.

She says her office has prosecuted more than 330 people for organized retail crime in the past few years.

The thefts account for more than $3 million and store losses, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

She says despite the resources they've put toward it, we cannot get through.

As a county prosecutor to the level of the organized criminals that are pulling the strings and that are responsible for reselling the products.

Stephan asked the lawmakers to create a national database to track these crimes.

The scope and implications of organized retail crime is unclear.

There's no standard definition or way of tracking it.

Still, it's been used to justify recent tough on crime decisions like the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis, a Majority-Black City, and Proposition 36, enabling prosecutors to send many more San Diegans into already overcrowded jails.

In May, Steffens office announced a sentence of six years for a man convicted of organized retail crime.

He stole about $19,000 worth of goods.

His incarceration will cost taxpayers about $780,000.

Katie Hazen, KPBS News.

Many Americans say it's harder than it used to be to pay for things like groceries and holiday gifts.

But Bank of America statistics show many low and middle income paychecks aren't keeping up with inflation.

New economic reports delve deeper into the affordability issue.

Amy Kiley reports.

They come as the president prepares to address the nation tonight.

2026 is going to be a bountiful year.

The Trump administration is promising a happy new year for affordability ahead of the president's primetime address tonight.

The White House says he'll look back on 2025 and look ahead to 2026.

Economists and fresh data paint a complicated picture of affordability.

A new report shows retail sales were flat between September and October.

Affordability is certainly an issue, but when you have higher income earners, it's going to be less sensitive for them.

A report out yesterday shows the unemployment rate hit a four year high last month.

We are in this sort of no hire, no fire type of market.

It also indicates the economy lost 105,000 jobs in October and gained 64,000 last month over the last six months as being essentially no job growth.

And there's three reasons for that.

Immigration.

Dodge and tariffs.

Another part of affordability is the cost of goods.

Tomorrow's Consumer Price Index update will give insight into that.

Statistics show CPI growth was easing for the first few months of the year.

Then what happened is you saw the president come into office and ignite the most inflationary policies in our lifetimes with these tariffs.

As for the GDP.

As we go into 2026, I'm still pretty optimistic.

I'm Amy Kiley reporting.

PBS News is covering President Trump's address.

You can watch it here on KPBS.

And that's live at 6:00 tonight.

Will rejoin regularly scheduled programs following the address.

The clock is ticking for Congress to secure a floor vote on pandemic era Obamacare subsidies before their scheduled holiday break.

Since some Republicans are showing willingness to compromise.

There's no family that I'm talking to in Alaska that can afford a tripling of the rates that they pay.

We already pay some of the highest costs in the country.

We're going to have to address this and and as.

The party in charge.

We've got a responsibility to to figure out figure it out.

Today, four Republican lawmakers backed a Democratic push to extend those subsidies.

And with that, Democrats now have enough signatures on their discharge petition to require a floor vote.

The four GOP lawmakers defied House Speaker Mike Johnson in choosing to vote across party lines.

This is, to me, a betrayal to the rest of us Republicans.

I think that they're short sighted.

The truth is, even if we pass what their what this discharge petition is going to do, it's people's premiums are still going to go up.

And those enhancements are set to expire on January 1st.

But the vote won't happen until sometime in January.

If the subsidies lapse, analysts say many people will see their health care costs rise.

Sickness a cantley.

Well, we have some really significant cloud cover near the coast at times this week that will continue late this week, at least in the early morning hours.

But brighter skies into the afternoon.

We have some warm weather as well.

Overnight tonight.

We'll get down to 48.

Ramona, 45, Reagan Springs 42.

Esposito at around 49 from Chula Vista to San Diego.

So certainly cool at night.

But the daytime weather remains very warm.

Inland areas, temperatures surging not far from record highs.

We'll take a look at that full forecast coming up.

San Diego's Claremont and College area neighborhoods have new community plans after the city council approved them today.

KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowman says they aim for more housing near public transit.

The new community plans maintain low density zoning in most of Claremont and the college area.

But shopping centers and major streets in the neighborhoods could see new mixed use development with retail apartments and public plazas.

Councilmember Shawn Ella Rivera says the college area's old plan, adopted in 1989, failed to allow for adequate growth near SDSU, forcing students to live in crowded bedrooms and garages.

And the impact it has on their lives and their neighbors lives is real.

The many frustrations that come from living where people have to as opposed to where they should.

And I think that we are going to be able to take a major step forward with the plan that's in front of us.

Still, some residents of the college area said the plans for apartments in neighborhoods previously restricted to single family homes were excessive and would overburden the college area's streets and library.

Provide infrastructure to support the growth that you seek.

Build like new communities build.

Planning for growth.

Planning for many factors.

Preserve and protect our one and only asset.

Our single family housing stock.

The plan update and Claremont faced comparatively less resistance and like the college area, most of Claremont remains zoned for low density single family homes.

Council President Joe LaCava cast the lone vote against the Claremont Plan.

He said the city should have done more to allow growth near the $2 billion extension of the blue line trolley.

Would it have made the community happy?

Heck no.

I know that.

But we're doing this in every single community where we're pushing the envelope further.

And when you've got one that has such amazing bones of an infrastructure backbone, why wouldn't we take advantage of it?

A state law passed this year called SB 79 could supersede the city's zoning and allow for even more housing near public transit.

It allows property owners to build apartments of 5 to 6 storeys within a half mile radius of trolley and rapid bus stops, even if the local zoning prohibits it.

Andrew Bohn, KPBS News.

Right now, the South Bay Union School District is considering a plan to close two more schools as the district grapples with declining enrollment and rising costs.

The district's board of trustees is meeting now and expected to vote tonight.

400 students at Central Elementary School will most likely have to relocate to another campus next year while two more schools, Barry and Sunny Slope, could be next on the chopping block.

Teachers say families are feeling shut out.

As a community need to hold the school district, the school board accountable.

They need to do what is best for our students and for our community and bring the community to the table on the decisions that they are making.

The community came out to voice their concerns and voice why the school needed to stay open and how vital the school is to our community.

And basically, it's a slap in the face.

To the community.

The district says Barry and Sunny Slope are part of a phased consolidation plan, with no additional closures until at least the 2020 829 school year.

Families from all three schools are expected to speak during public comment.

I'm Jeff Bennett.

Tonight on the NewsHour, a new PBS news poll shows Americans give President Trump low marks on his handling of the economy.

That's at seven after Evening.

Edition on KPBS.

For many Latino immigrants and mixed status families, the holidays are usually about gathering tradition and faith.

But this year, KPBS health reporter Heidi DeMarco says heightened immigration enforcement is changing.

How and if families celebrate at all.

Feliz Navidad.

During the holidays, Latino communities are usually filled with music, dancing and tradition.

Christmas is a time for food, faith and family.

But this year, many immigrant families say the season feels different.

Fear has replaced celebration.

Gloria Sanchez is an undocumented immigrant from Sinaloa, Mexico.

She's 49 years old and has lived in the U.S.

for 25 years.

KPBS is protecting her identity because of her fear of deportation.

Bonita Llano, either through the Potomac or someplace.

I'm not very well-known L'animal, you might assume.

She's had close calls with immigration, and by the grace of God, she says she's still here.

She rarely leaves her house.

And she's not alone.

A recent KFI New York Times survey found that 63% of likely undocumented immigrants have avoided traveling this year, worried about drawing attention to their status.

Return Salomon knows I was on Saturdays and was adamant that.

Her husband is a gardener and is also undocumented.

She says the thought of losing him is devastating.

Well, as is all that is lost in the circus.

He's the one who supports the household.

If they deport him, she says, their family will fall apart.

She says the isolation weighs on her.

In Ostrava, astrocytoma, I presume I was a you're not going to leave me in New York.

Then she says her dogs aren't.

What?

Bring her joy.

Easing her stress and keeping her company during long days inside.

Still, she tries.

She says she finally found the motivation to decorate her home.

It is the new reality that.

Fate remains central to her life, especially now.

But even the simplest traditions feel risky this year.

The day of the In the Guadalupe is one of the most important religious celebrations in Mexican culture.

Traditionally, families gather for early morning mass music, prayer and gratitude.

We it has gone.

It's a risk she's willing to take.

It's 430 in the morning when Sanchez arrives at the church.

Inside, incense fills the air.

You've got mariachi sing singing praise.

Aztec dancers feet from against the floor.

And prayers rippled through the pews.

Sanchez raises her hands and prays.

Telegraphs yes.

Will see I the American economy without any hope of the hero.

That it's really important for the people to come here because they feel like it's a little bit of part of their tradition.

Their Pablito hung.

When is a priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Barrio Logan?

He says Sanchez's fear is shared by many in his congregation.

We don't know who to trust.

I mean, people are fearful that their neighbors might turn them into immigration.

And so the people are carrying a lot of burdens, a lot of stress, a lot of anxiety.

He says attendance is down.

People are afraid to come for sure.

Here in our parish, we have seen a decrease in mass attendance on Sundays.

He estimates the parish has lost about 300 members due to immigration raids.

But for those who do make it inside, he says, faith offers relief.

Forgot about immigration raids, forgot about all these things that they're struggling with.

And people are just being joyful.

People are celebrating their faith, their expressions, and the people giving thanks to our labor.

Loopy traditions.

Beyond the Church have also changed.

The.

Targeting of families.

They have fled flooding in many Latino and Mexican immigrant families.

Families are made and shared during Christmas gatherings.

Fernando Nyang shells Oaxacan tamales in Barrio Logan.

Texas, down on Bohol.

He says sales are down this year.

People are afraid.

Many are saving money in case something happens.

But Sanchez says she won't be cooking or celebrating the way she used to.

The way that the national no budget thing mobilized lawmakers.

The who persists for Sanchez and many others.

They're holding on to the life they built in a place they call home.

Heidi DeMarco, KPBS News.

Of course, there may, may be many reasons why people may feel extra stress around the holidays.

KPBS Midday Edition talked with a therapist about coping strategies.

You can listen now at KPBS, Saugus Today Edition or wherever you get your podcasts.

With just days to go before Christmas, elementary students in San Diego are feeling the holiday magic.

KPBS reporter Jacob Air says at one school in San Diego Unified.

Free gifts and a surprise guest are making some wishes come true.

The elves are doing their job.

The reindeer are revved up.

I just got to slim down to get through these chimneys and I'll be good.

Santa is already in town at Joyous Mead Elementary School.

Today, Father Christmas was there to listen to the wish lists of many young students.

Dolls.

Hot Wheels.

Yeah.

There's a lot of suggestions from the kids.

They seem excited and supposedly they sent a list off to Santa and they've been nice.

Every student received a gift selected by their teacher and wrapped by parent volunteers.

That includes first graders Ariana Perez Mojica and Isabella King Speakes, who are feeling excited about the holidays.

Well, you got to spend time with your family and you got to you have gifts.

Christmas is my favorite year.

It's your favorite time of the year.

This is all part of the school's second annual winter holiday toy giveaway, where they partner with different community organizations to gather gifts for the students.

Every kid in the school, over 600 kiddos are receiving a gift wrapped.

Kristy Hunter Clark is the school's principal.

She says they're a community school.

That means they provide services and support to fit their neighborhoods, needs.

Nearly all of the school's student population lives below the poverty line.

For our community and being able to give back and give just a little means a lot for our kids.

Caroline GRONDIN helped to organize many of the toy donations for the students over the past few months.

Much of that work took place around the Scripps Ranch neighborhood.

A lot of these children go through a lot that some adults would struggle with.

And so this is just that once a year, that time where we can just help and make it magical because their children.

Back in the classroom.

The holiday festivities continue for Ariana and Isabella, who have to wait to open the presents until they get home.

One year for apartments like this one, as they soon head into their two week holiday break from school.

The young girls are hoping for a purple bike and pink remote control car this Christmas.

I will go on the Polar Express because I want to see Fanny Cross.

Jacob Bear.

KPBS News surveys indicate Americans don't feel great about the overall economy right now, but it won't stop them from hitting the road for the holidays.

Multiple forecasts see record numbers of holiday travelers.

Here's Karen Clifford with a look at which costs are up and down.

More travelers, more airplane seats, higher airfares and lower gas prices.

It all adds up to another 2025 travel boom.

Americans aren't letting economic uneasiness stop them from hitting the roads.

The rails and the airports for the holidays.

The uncertain economy is certainly not stopping them from holiday travel.

This is yet another record season.

triple-A forecasts 122.4 million U.S.

travelers will take a trip at least 50 miles from home during the end of year holiday travel period.

That's up 2.2% from 2020 for about 90% of holiday travelers says will go by car with the national average for a gallon of gas sitting below $3 thanks to crude oil prices down 20% from this time last year.

In the skies, industry trade group Airlines for America anticipates domestic airlines will carry 52.6 million passengers between December 19th and January 5th, up 1.5% over 2024.

Expedia's Melanie Fish says passengers who want to travel with minimal crowds should avoid the highest volume days.

The busiest day for air travel is shaping up to be that Saturday right before Christmas.

And then the second busiest day is shaping up to be the 26th, the day right after Christmas.

Airlines for America predicts U.S.

airlines will add 72,000 seats each day of the holiday stretch.

Sarah Kopit, editor in chief for travel news site Skift, says airlines have prepared for the rush as best they can, even as the nation grapples with an ongoing air traffic controller shortage.

The airports and the airlines, you know, they are confident that this season they'll be able to handle anyone who wants to come out and fly.

And for those who delayed booking their holiday flights, Expedia's Melanie Fish tells me that there still are some seats available but expect to pay for them.

She also said that some last minute routes may require multiple legs or layovers, so make sure that saving money is worth that extra time.

In Washington, I'm Karen Kafer.

Well, we have some more warmth out there, but with this strong, strong and persistent zone of high pressure, we have had not just the daytime warmth with new record highs.

We're going to be warmer on Thursday, but also the stagnant nature of this air mass has led to some air quality concerns.

There have continue to be some wood burning bands and so forth up to our north into parts of Orange County and the western San Bernardino counties.

And again, some other issues with air quality, especially to the north.

By the way, there is a pattern change on the horizon.

Christmas Day could bring us the return of some moisture, but also some travel trouble with some rain in the neighborhood.

We're going to be dealing with lows around 49 tonight.

Mainly clear skies in some high clouds or some low clouds, I should say.

Some low clouds will begin to push in from the coast late at night, but the overall warmth wins out.

We have a persistent ridge of high pressure in the southwest, the Star Trek is diverting the rain way to our north.

So we're going to continue to stay very warm and dry temperatures in the inland areas like Ramona as Candido, El Cajon.

You're going to be a little warmer than it was today.

Tomorrow.

So Thursday warms up a little bit more, 78, the Brega Springs, Mount Laguna, 61 in the mountains, but we'll be around 71 in San Diego, brightest in the afternoon.

The rain stays near and mainly north of Interstate 80 for Friday.

So we do stay dry and relatively balmy for this time of the year.

And we're going to stay warm here into early next week with a persistent ridge of high pressure in the area.

Some areas will be getting close to record highs.

We're going to go from the event for parts of southern California into areas around Denver, even Scottsbluff, Nebraska, facing some potential for new record highs early into the weekend travel weather.

We're in good shape locally Friday, but if you're traveling way to the north, we have a lot of problems across the northwest.

Jumping ahead to Monday, another big travel time.

We continue to look good early on.

You'll notice, though, Tuesday preceding Christmas, we're beginning to see some showers in more of central California.

And then Wednesday here we get into some rain, especially into Thursday.

So we do have some issues on the horizon later next week for the coasts, we're going to be between 65 and 71 degrees, warmest on Friday.

Low clouds in the morning, brighter in the afternoon, even areas 82, Thursday, 80 Friday did some cooling for the weekend.

Into the mountains we go hovering in the low to mid sixties and back to the beat fifties by Monday and in the deserts here we're hovering around 83 Friday for our warmest day before some cooling for the weekend.

AccuWeather meteorologist Geoff CORNISH for KPBS News.

122 years ago today, the era of powered flight began when Orville and Wilbur Wright managed to get the airplane they built into the air for the first time.

KPBS reporter John Carroll says an event at the San Diego Aerospace Museum today to honor the anniversary didn't go quite as planned.

This is an exact replica of the engine the Wright brothers used to power their airplane.

This story was supposed to begin with the sound of it firing up, but today the engine decided not to cooperate.

Our first problem this morning with the fuel, we weren't getting enough fuel.

Robert McClure is the supervisor of the museum's machinist shop.

He knows this old engine inside and out.

And then we got enough fuel.

Then we had no exhaust ignition and we couldn't get something got shorted out.

So we had no ignition to fire the fuel up.

The original engine was actually built by the Wright Brothers mechanic machinist Charles Taylor.

Museum president and CEO Jim Cédric says what happened this morning probably happened to Taylor and the Wright brothers many times.

It's really probably indicative of what they experienced many, many, many times before that first flight, realizing that first one, it was only 12 seconds and 120 feet.

Just steps away from the engine here.

Inside the museum's rotunda is an exact replica of the airplane.

That engine powered the Wright flier and all around it, both here in the rotunda and throughout the museum.

Other amazing milestones of flight.

The Wright Brothers achievement set the world of powered aviation in motion.

In 1911, Glenn Curtiss sold the Navy its first airplanes right here in San Diego, and then we have on May 20, 1927, Lindbergh Crosses the Atlantic solo.

When people had died trying to do that fun fact, even though Charles Lindbergh's airplane was called The Spirit of Saint Louis, it was actually built by Ryan Aircraft in San Diego.

And of course, Amelia Earhart crosses the Atlantic solo.

Five years to the day later, after Lindbergh and October 1447, we break the sound barrier and nobody thought that was going to happen.

1969 we walk on the moon and we're going to go back to the moon, and I think we'll get to Mars eventually.

From the possible future back to the knowable past and our old friend here, it might not have wanted to start this morning, but one.

Year from today it'll be running.

Quiet this morning.

But a piece of machinery that speaks to the ages, the little engine that launched humans into the skies above earth and space beyond.

John Carroll, KPBS News.

Well, next year, John.

Well, here's a look at what we're working on for tomorrow in the KPBS newsroom.

Holiday songs can be sentimental or catchy, but some can be on the verge of annoying.

NPR's Morning Edition is discussing the most popular yet cringeworthy Christmas songs.

And Beth ACCOMANDO joins KPBS Midday Edition to talk about new holiday movies to check out or to avoid.

You can find tonight's stories on our Web site, KPBS, dot org.

Thank you for joining us.

I'm Maya TRABOULSI.

Have a great evening.

Major funding for KPBS Evening Edition has been made possible in part by Bill Howell.

Family of companies providing San Diego with plumbing, heating, air restoration and flood services for over 40 years.

Call one 800 Bill how or visit bill how?

Rt.com and by the Conrad Prevost Foundation.

Darlene Marcos shyly and by the following and by viewers like you.

Thank you.